The PewterReport.com Roundtable features the opinions of the PR staff as it tackles a topic related to the Tampa Bay Bucs each week.

This week’s topic: Which Bucs player bounces back off IR?

Scott Reynolds: FS Justin Evans

The Bucs saw several starters end their season prematurely on injured reserve last year, including tight end O.J. Howard, linebackers Kwon Alexander and Kendell Beckwith, free safety Justin Evans and cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III. Alexander left Tampa Bay via free agency for more money in San Francisco, so that leaves the other four Bucs ready to bounce back in 2019 – although Beckwith’s status is still unknown.

I think Evans is ready to return to form physically after a toe injury limited him to 10 games last season where he recorded just 59 tackles, two pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. In 14 games as a rookie in 2017, the Texas A&M product had 66 tackles, six pass breakups and a team-high three interceptions. Evans played looser and freer during his rookie season, and the constant harping by former defensive coordinator Mike Smith to play back so far off the ball robbed him of his playmaking mentality and took Evans out of position to make a lot of plays.

Bucs FS Justin Evans – Photo by: Mary Holt/PR

Evans should see a rebirth under defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and safeties coach Nick Rapone. In Arizona, free safety Rashad Johnson turned into a playmaker with five pass breakups and three interceptions upon Bowles’ arrival in 2013. The next year, Johnson had four interceptions, including two pick-sixes, a career-high eight pass breakups and his first career sack playing in Bowles’ aggressive scheme. Bowles left in 2015, but James Bettcher took over and kept the defensive system intact. That allowed Johnson to record seven pass breakups and set a new career-high with a team-leading five picks.

Evans’ game can ascend to that level under Bowles. Evans is an aggressive player by nature – both in pass coverage and when it comes to tackling. Smith isn’t around to neuter his game anymore, so I expect Evans to rebound in a big way and be the attacking-type safety that general manager Jason Licht envisioned when drafting him in the second round in 2017. Don’t be surprised if Evans winds up with three or four interceptions to lead the Bucs defense in 2019.

Mark Cook: TE O.J. Howard

When O.J. Howard was tackled awkwardly after catching a pass against the Giants in a 38-35 loss last November, it didn’t necessarily look to be a major injury. But ankle injuries, especially for guys who play on the line of scrimmage at times and have to anchor when blocking, can be tough to return from. With the Bucs season already in the tank and the inevitable firing of Dirk Koetter on the horizon, the medical staff did the right thing in shelving Howard for the final six games.

Unfortunately for Howard, a potential Pro Bowl season went on injured reserve with him as well, and the former Crimson Tide star ended his second year in Tampa Bay with 565 yards receiving on 34 receptions and five scores. Howard was on pace for over 900 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, and undoubtedly would have been in the Pro Bowl conversation.

With a career 16.6-yard average, Howard is more than just a tight end. He’s mismatch across the board, whether it be against a linebacker, or even a safety trying to cover him one-on-one. Even with his hand in the ground on the line of scrimmage, Howard’s ability to get into his route is extraordinary for a man with a 6-foot-6, 260-pound frame, and there just aren’t many defensive players who can match up with him well.

Bucs TE O.J. Howard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

New head coach Bruce Arians and his staff have a gem on their roster, and while many opine the loss of wide receivers Adam Humphries and DeSean Jackson, Howard still has yet to come close to his ceiling. His numbers and effectiveness should only get better in 2019 as he will move up the target pecking order without Humphries and Jackson on the field.

Howard can absolutely be that Rob Gronkowski-, Tony Gonzalez-, Jimmie Giles-type mismatch if used properly, and I am guessing Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich are salivating at the possibilities. Howard needs to prove he can stay healthy for a whole season, and if he does, he can truly become a perennial Pro Bowl player starting this year.

Taylor Jenkins: TE O.J. Howard

When O.J. Howard went down with an ankle injury last season, forcing him to miss the final six games of the Buccaneers’ season, he had already hauled in 34 receptions for 565 yards and five touchdowns, one short of the six touchdowns he posted in his rookie season. His 16.6 yards per reception in 2018 landed him in the league’s top 10, and he was well on pace to become the Bucs’ fifth concurrent 750-yard receiver.

To top it off – he’s just 24 years old. The Bucs’ first round draft pick in 2017 has already shown the kind of explosive weapon he can be at the NFL level and he’s just scratching the surface of his career, playing in just 24 games to this point.

Bucs TE OJ Howard – Photo by: Mary Holt/PR

The Alabama product is a freak athlete, standing 6-foot-6 at over 250 pounds with 4.5 speed and he’s yet to enter his prime. He’s a match-up nightmare, often being a mismatch with his speed when lined up against linebackers and a mismatch with his size when lined up against defensive backs.

With the departure of two star wide receivers in Adam Humphries and DeSean Jackson, and an elite blocking skill set that allows him to stay on the field for all three downs, Howard isn’t just in position to have a bounce back year, he’s in position to have a breakout year. The potential is endless with Howard and the Bucs’ new coaching staff, optimally helping Jameis Winston to be the best version of himself, might be exactly what the Bucs’ young tight end needs to move into a new echelon as one of the league’s premier players at his position.

Matt Matera: CB Vernon Hargreaves III

This has just as much to do with the new coaching staff as it does with Vernon Hargreaves III’s talents. As you may have seen from his press conference, Hargreaves is ready to run through a brick wall for Bruce Arians and the rest of his coaches.

The most important reason Hargreaves will improve this year is because he will go back to playing his best position, which is outside corner. He will also be able to press up at the line of scrimmage, which he wasn’t able to do with the defensive scheme over the last two seasons. He was never put in a spot to play to the best of his abilities, but that will all change now with new coaches around him that understand his skill.

While Hargreaves didn’t mind playing in the slot, he even admitted that he is at his best when playing outside corner like he did in college at Florida. Since coming to the NFL, he only had that opportunity for one season – his rookie year – before moving to the slot where he struggled. His best year came as a rookie where Hargreaves had one interception and nine pass deflections, but that also the only year where he was healthy enough to play a full 16 games.

Bucs CB Vernon Hargreaves III – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Hargreaves only played in one game last season and nine games the year prior, so remaining healthy is a number one priority more than anything else. If he’s on the field though, he should excel being back in his comfort zone playing press coverage outside.

Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles will get the best out of Hargreaves by having him in his natural position that he prefers to play. At Florida, he recorded 27 pass breakups and 10 interceptions as a three-year starter. This hasn’t come to fruition yet here in Tampa Bay, but now’s the time for Hargreaves to become the player that the Bucs expected him to be when they selected him 11th overall in 2016.